Sunday 27 August 2006

Hidden Sins

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” - Proverbs 28v13

For most of us it is not the obvious, outward sins that cause us the problems. Everyone can see those so we learn to deal with them relatively early in our Christian lives. It is those other sins that can linger and cause us immense problems.

Sins like jealousy, lust, covetousness, and greed can be masked on the outside to a certain extent. Yet, they are relatively easy to hide in our hearts. One of our greatest sins is hypocrisy, which is a Greek term for “wearing a mask.” We all know how to wear our spiritual masks. We can put on a show for everyone else, but our hearts can be full of hidden sins.

We can rest assured that we cannot prosper while these sins are hidden and not dealt with. God tells us that if we are regarding sin in our hearts He won’t hear our prayers. Unconfessed, hidden sins will keep us from a right relationship with our Lord.

Yet, we have a God who is full of mercy. He is waiting for us with open arms like the prodigal son’s father. If we confess and forsake those sins he waiting to pour out His mercy on us. If we have hidden sins that are keeping us from prospering, isn’t it time that we confess and forsake them and receive His mercy?

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